528 
CVII. GRAMINEiE. 
[. Anthoxanthum . 
A. Stamens 2. Styles 2. (Gen. 1.) 
1. Anthoxanthum Zmre. Vernal-grass. 
(Tab. VI. f. 1.) 
Panicle spike-like. Spikelets with 1 perfect central floret, and 
two outer larger neuter ones. Glumes 2, very unequal : upper 
the longer. Glumellas of the perfect floret 2, awnless ; of the 
neuter florets single, awned. — Name: avUoc, a flower, and 
Z,avOo£, yellow ; from the yellowish hue of the spikes, especially 
1. A. odordtum L. ( sweet-scented V .) ; panicle spike-like ob- 
long often interrupted at the base, awn of the upper neuter 
glumella longer than the upper glume. E. B. t. 647 : Pam. 
Gr. t. 8. 1 
Meadows, woods, and pastures, abundant, often very alpine. If . 
5, 6. — A foot high, its agreeable smell in the act of drying, like 
that of Woodruff ( Asperula odorata ), gives the well-known scent to 
new-made hay. Leaves short. Panicle compact, yellow in age. 
Glumes very unequal. Mr. Brown first pointed out the true 
structure of the spikelets of this genus: previously the two neuter 
florets were considered by some an inner pair of glumes, by others 
an outer corolla or perianth. In A. gracile the awns of both the 
neuter florets are shorter than the upper glume. Stamens only 2, 
whereby this genus differs perhaps from all our other grasses, except 
some species of Bromus, and Hierochloe, in which last however the 
two lateral barren florets are triandrous. Stigmas very long, linear. 
B. Stamens 3. Style and Stigma 1 . (Gen. 2.) 
2. Nakdus Linn. Mat-grass. (Tab. VI. f. 2.) 
Spike simple, unilateral. Spikelets 1 -flowered. Glumes 0. 
Glumellas 2 ; the outer one keeled with a long subulate point. 
Stigma elongate, filiform, papillose. — Name: from vapeoc, for- 
merly given to an odoriferous substance, but not applicable in 
this case. 
1. N. stricta L. ( Mat-grass ): E. B. t. 290 : Pam. Gr. t. 2. 
Moors 'and heaths, most abundant. If. 6 . — A grass of simple 
structure, growing in short tufts so coarse and rigid that cattle will 
not eat it. Culms and leaves setaceous. Spike long, erect, slender, 
grooved, and toothed at short distances for the insertion of the florets. 
Glumellas lanceolate : outer one coriaceous, purplish-green, tapering 
gradually into an awn ; inner smaller, awnless, membranous. The 
only species of the genus. 
1 We refer here to Dr. Parnell’s Grasses of Britain : the plates especially of 
the 2d part are very accurate, except perhaps as regards the hypogynous scales 
and the styles and stigmas. 
